Chapter 941 Two Swords Hidden in Peach Blossom Spring (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Little Ink Spirit tilted its head back, its eyes wide, and gradually loosened its arms that were wrapped around its chest.
This is Xiao Rongzi's painting of Peach Blossom Spring; of course she recognizes it.
But at this moment, the picture has become... somewhat strange.
Not only did it hang upside down above their heads, but it also floated as if weightless.
Its two bronze axles also shone with an unusual light:
The light was mostly a clear blue, with one of the shafts occasionally flashing a touch of azure before being quickly suppressed.
This clear blue glow was very familiar to Miao Si, and she couldn't possibly forget it.
This is the color of the sword aura from the [Craftsmanship].
Back in Huang Xuan's little courtyard, Xiao Rongzi, carrying the [Craftsmanship], single-handedly with a sword, forced back Lady Zhishuang and Lady Rongzhen, and dashingly rescued her.
However, this color takes on a slightly different form when applied to this particular Peach Blossom Spring painting.
Gone is its former flamboyant, dazzling, and dazzling aura. Instead, like the two blood bronze shafts it is attached to, it is somewhat low-key, reserved, profound, and restrained.
The most obvious evidence is that Miao Si didn't notice it from the moment she followed Ouyang Rong into the house.
When I first came in, its shaft hit me on the forehead, and I didn't even see its afterimage clearly...
The clear blue light emanating from its body was so subtle that it seemed somewhat "unremarkable" unless you looked up carefully.
Therefore, the brilliant idea that he realized at this moment took him by surprise.
It's like a peerless sword, sheathed in bronze, its sharpness concealed, yet still unable to hide its regal aura.
But that doesn’t mean it has been weakened or its momentum suppressed.
Instead, it subtly gives off a sense of oppressive terror, like a king concealing his weapon, because you never know when it will be unleashed, with all its sword energy and sharpness radiating outwards.
Like an old dragon in a deep pool, it is most terrifying when the pool is calm and still. When the water splashes and the waves are raging, it is not so scary.
For some reason, the clear blue light emanating from this bronze scroll gave Miaosi the feeling that it was like a spring—the harder it was compressed, the stronger the rebound would be.
She swallowed hard.
First, I asked cautiously:
"Little Rongzi, how come it's flying so high?"
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"After being locked up inside for so long, what's wrong with coming out for a flight? It's not strange, is it?"
Miao Si first earnestly tugged at Ouyang Rong's trouser leg and asked:
"Little Rongzi, it's been a long time. It should still recognize this fairy maiden, right? Come closer, or the flood might wash away my East Temple, won't it?"
Ouyang Rong glanced down at the demure appearance of the female immortal, and replied with a half-smile:
"Aren't these your good brothers? What, can't the ship of great friendship withstand even a little storm?"
Miao Si's first reaction was to shake her head in rebuttal, but she stopped halfway through, looking rather dejected.
"Better safe than sorry, hehe."
With a dry laugh, Xiao Mojing glanced at Ouyang Rong's expression, then darted up to his shoulder and peered at the Peach Blossom Spring painting.
Miao Si noticed with her sharp eyes that tiny, rice-grain-sized runes flashed across the two bronze shafts.
It is the Kui Xing talisman.
Although they are all runes, they come in three different styles.
One type is the familiar Xiao Rongzi handwriting, which is also the most numerous.
There's another type, with an unfamiliar, flowing handwriting. If I'm not mistaken, it should belong to that old rascal Cui Hao, since Miao Si has seen the Kui Xing talisman that was recently taken from the tomb.
The last type, and also the least numerous.
Miaosi looks very familiar; it belongs to Xiao Taozi.
For some reason, the little ink spirit quieted down, looked up at the scroll above her that had been transformed and given a third spring.
The Kui Xin Fu in Cui Hao's and Tao Yuanming's handwriting shimmered with a sky-blue sword aura.
At this moment, however, it was suppressed by the newly attached Kui Xing Talisman with its clear blue light.
The two blood-bronze shafts are almost entirely radiating the powerful sword energy of the craftsmen.
Having not breathed fresh air for a long time, [Craftsmanship] shook its new body, and with a "whoosh," it spun around under the ceiling.
It paid little attention to the little ink spirit below who loved to get close to others but was a bully at home.
The foolish sword master was being taken advantage of by the little ink spirit, but he wouldn't tolerate it.
This new body was rather old and heavy, but [Craftsman] didn't care. For now, being able to "escape" the sword box and wander around was already enough.
During the days it was trapped in that terrifying pool of lightning, it was like being hit hard on the head.
I never imagined that there would actually be something in this world that could somewhat limit it.
This is also the first time it has encountered this since the creation of the Class A sword furnace by Butterfly Creek.
Of course, the little guy didn't know that being able to stay unharmed in this lightning pool that involved divine retribution for so long was something that only a handful of mythical objects in the world could accomplish, and the Ding Sword was one of them.
If it were any other living being, it would be reduced to charred remains in less than ten breaths.
[Craftsman] didn't care about all that. Although it was a little confused and frustrated, it still pushed all the blame onto the stupid sword master.
The sword master is entirely responsible!
[Craftsmanship] Without any psychological burden, it is reborn at this moment. It runs around the house happily, wishing it could run out.
However, Ouyang Rong had already closed the gate, restricting its movement.
This is Yunmeng Sword Marsh. If the Yue Maiden on night duty outside sees it, we're doomed.
While Miao Si on his shoulder curiously examined the scroll, Ouyang Rong also squinted at the new scroll running around on his head.
The remaining Blood Bronze Cloud Dream Tokens were all integrated into the sword box itself, along with forty-nine superior Kui Xing talismans.
The Peach Blossom Sword Formation has been completed.
The craftsman and the poor scholar share the same fake sword.
At this moment, both kinds of sword energy converged in the scroll, but since [Craftsmanship] had just arrived, its sharpness had the upper hand.
In addition, Ouyang Rong was also somewhat surprised that the Peach Blossom Spring Map could spontaneously levitate and fly.
Previously, he was unable to control the Peach Blossom Spring map to fly remotely.
In retrospect, it seems that as a newcomer, he couldn't control the "Humble Scholar" and couldn't communicate with its spirit like the Sword Master could, so he could only observe it indirectly.
Now that he is possessed by [Craftsmanship], he and [Craftsmanship] are naturally connected in spirit and mind, and are inseparable.
The projection of the "Craftsmanship" skill onto the Peach Blossom Spring painting allows Ouyang Rong to exert influence through it.
Compared to the past, Ouyang Rong was quite happy to have an extra function.
Its main feature is its ability to fly remotely, which is quite practical.
It's like the merit on the little wooden fish in the merit pagoda is being consumed little by little, which is a bit painful.
He was not a Confucian Qi cultivator. To manipulate the Kui Xing Talisman, just like casting the Shangqing Absolute Art of Divine Mandate, he needed to use ever-changing merit purple mist to replace the characteristic spiritual energy of each corresponding Dao lineage.
Ouyang Rong stood there with his sleeves tucked in for a while, then suddenly reached out and grabbed at the air.
The craftsman, which had been wandering around the room to pass the time, was suddenly captured in his palm and quieted down.
With the "relocation" of the [Craftsmanship], this rare counterfeit sword can finally be considered his complete possession.
I wonder if there are any undeveloped parts of this counterfeit Ding Sword that are shared by both parties.
Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment.
Miao Si, perched on Ouyang Rong's shoulder, curiously watched the Peach Blossom Spring painting that remained obediently still in Ouyang Rong's hand. While Ouyang Rong was calmly pondering, she reached out and tried to touch the axle that emitted a faint glow.
Just as they were about to touch it, Ouyang Rong suddenly threw out the bronze scroll.
The scroll did not land; instead, it spun once in the air in front of it like a boomerang, bursting forth with a bright, clear blue light.
It seemed to be possessed by the spirit of the craftsman, hovering three feet above the ground.
Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and beckoned with his finger.
In the next instant, the scroll in the air opened without any wind, revealing half of it.
A faint light flashed on the drawing paper, as if controlled by an invisible hand.
With a "whoosh," a small black strip shot out from the drawing paper.
With a "snap," Ouyang Rong caught it with his backhand.
The bronze scroll is half-open, faintly revealing half of the Peach Blossom Spring scenery.
Ouyang Rong weighed the item in his hand, nodded slightly, and the bronze scroll seemed to receive the signal and understand, obediently flying to the table.
We passed the place where the Mo family's sword boxes were placed.
Wherever it passed, the sword case disappeared.
If you look closely, you can see that in one of the landscape scenes in the half-open painting, there is an unusually colored sword box.
However, this detail was fleeting. After putting away the Mo family sword box, the bronze scroll closed again, swirled around the inner room like a boomerang, and landed back in Ouyang Rong's hands.
Miao Si, who was observing from the sidelines, watched the whole process with wide eyes.
"Little Rongzi, that's quite a skill! Hmm, now you don't have to take it yourself anymore, you can fly out of the painting and retrieve things?"
Ouyang Rong smiled but didn't say anything.
He had only just discovered this himself. It seemed that after the Peach Blossom Spring Map became a counterfeit Ding Sword of the [Craftsmanship], his control over the Peach Blossom Spring Map had also deepened.
Looking at it this way, Ouyang Rong felt more and more that he hadn't explored it enough before. Now that he had his own people in it, it was a completely different story.
【Humble Scholar】The spiritual character is more like that of a reclusive hermit, just like Tao Yuanming, and even he is hidden away from the world.
Miao Si was amazed and was about to offer more praise when she suddenly caught a glimpse of something familiar out of the corner of her eye.
She twitched her little nose, facing the small, dark strip of paper that Ouyang Rong had tossed to her, and asked:
"Ink stick?"
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow, caught the tossed ink stick and secretly hid it in his sleeve, the whole process was incredibly smooth.
You've misjudged.
Miao Si, however, did not believe it and his eyes flashed with a fierce light:
"Alright, alright, little Rongzi, just how many inksticks have you secretly hidden behind my back...?"
Before he could finish speaking, the little ink spirit suddenly lunged at his sleeve.
To launch a surprise attack.
Ouyang Rong, however, remained expressionless as he looked at the Peach Blossom Spring painting floating above him.
It's faster than the Fairy Maiden.
The scroll, leaving a trail of afterimages, shot into Ouyang Rong's sleeve, arriving even faster than his brilliant idea.
When Miao Si grabbed Ouyang Rong's sleeve, all that remained inside was a bronze scroll.
The small ink stick has disappeared.
They came up empty-handed.
Miao Si stared blankly: "Little Rongzi, hand it over right now!"
Ouyang Rong asked in confusion:
"What is that? What is the female immortal looking for? Why does it look like that monkey that Song man kept?"
Ingenious idea: ?
Her expression shifted for a moment, then she suddenly let out a cold snort and crossed her arms:
"If you're so capable, try hiding for a lifetime and see who gets rid of whom first."
Ouyang Rong sighed:
"Then why don't you starve your whole life?"
Miao Si's little fists hardened instantly. Bearing the humiliation, she said, word by word, "Conditions."
Ouyang Rong smiled, pulled his sleeve back from her hand, and lightly flicked the forehead of the tough little ink spirit with his finger:
"It's time to get back to work. I've given you so many days off, you've had enough rest. Now all the stored spirit ink is used up. I only have one red and black talisman left. If I want to draw a new Kui Xing talisman later, I'll need spirit ink too. It's time for the female immortal to show her divine power."
Miao Si covered her forehead, grimacing as she slapped his fingers away.
"You want the horse to run, but you don't want it to eat grass? Here are four words for you: stingy, ptooey..."
She protested by waving her little fist, and before Ouyang Rong could say anything, she ran back to the wardrobe, slammed the door shut, and went to sleep.
"You wait."
I don't know if it's a declarative sentence or a sentence I said out of spite.
Ouyang Rong smiled.
After a short while, he glanced at the night sky outside, which was almost dawn, and his smile faded slightly. He turned around, walked to the table, and placed the Peach Blossom Spring painting back on it.
Ouyang Rong first closed his eyes, immersed himself in the Merit Pagoda, and examined the small wooden fish.
I glanced at the line of cyan-gold text above.
[Merit: 1050]
This time, drawing the Kui Xing talisman to construct the Peach Blossom Sword Formation cost over a thousand merit points, including the cost of letting the [Craftsmanship] out for a stroll tonight.
However, it was worth it, as it temporarily resolved the issue of the "thunder pool".
【Humble Scholar】is good, but it is not his destined sword.
[Craftsmanship] is like a close daughter-in-law; working together is as easy as using one's own limbs.
With it, Ouyang Rong could take the Peach Blossom Spring Map with him whenever he went out, as if he were retrieving something from thin air, making it much more convenient for various purposes.
He nodded with some satisfaction.
After a short while, having left the Pagoda of Merit, Ouyang Rong's gaze returned to the bronze scroll.
A faint blue light flashed across the shaft, seemingly ready to move, but Ouyang Rong raised his hand and pressed it down.
[Craftsman] wanted to go out for a stroll, but he stopped him.
By the dim light, Ouyang Rong gently unrolled the scroll, and a picture of a paradise on earth appeared on the paper.
However, this paradise above has changed somewhat after tonight.
The biggest difference is that a moon appeared in the sky above Peach Blossom Spring.
A familiar waxing crescent moon hangs high in the sky.
At this moment, the entire sky above the mountains and rivers in the picture is dyed a clear blue, the color of "craftsmanship".
This unexpectedly extra moon is the projection of [Craftsmanship].
It has already occupied a large portion of the top of the "Peach Blossom Spring" painting, making it extremely conspicuous.
Ouyang Rong's gaze shifted downwards, and in a hidden black and white landscape in the lower half of the painting, a touch of sky blue could be faintly seen appearing and disappearing among the black and white trees.
It's a discreetly hidden projection of the "Humble Scholar".
If the information is correct, the real-life "Humble Scholar" is also hidden in the legendary Peach Blossom Spring, which is located somewhere in the Yunmeng Sword Marsh. The town of Peach Blossom Spring on the edge of the Sword Marsh is named after it.
Compared to the lively nature of the "Craftsman," the "Humble Scholar" is relatively more reserved and quiet.
The two figures, one above the other, divide the entire Peach Blossom Spring painting, conveying a mysterious and profound meaning.
Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought, and paused for a moment in meditation.
The light of day had already broken through the window and was falling at his feet.
Ouyang Rong covered the Peach Blossom Spring painting, and it flew into the bamboo tube on its own. He hung the tube at his waist and strode out the door.
...
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(P.S.: Requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month!)
(End of this chapter)
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